Material-working apparatus



Dec. 10, 1929. r H. BLOUNT MATERIAL WORKING APPARATUS Filed NOV. 30, 1926 Patented Dec. 10, 1929 UNITED, STATES PATENT. OFFICE HARRY BLOUNT, OF OAKJE'ARK, ILLINOIS, A SS IG NOR TO WESTERN ELECTRIC COM- IPANY, INCORPORATED, OF NEW YORK,

N. Y., A' CORPORATION OF NEW YORK MATERIAL-WORKING APPARATUS Application filed November 30, 1926'. Serial No; 151,642.

This invention relates to material working apparatus, and more particularly to guarding devices for a strand working apparatus.

An object of this invention is to provide an Lefiicient and reliable guarding device for traveling material upon a material working apparatus.

'Another Object of this invention is to provide a simplified device for deflecting a 10 working medium from material during the travel thereof through a work performing apparatus.

In accordance with the general features of this invention as applied to a wire drawing 1 apparatus having a pivotal tension arm' carrying a guide sheave over which the drawn wire travels on its way to a take-up spool," there is provided a housing movable with the tension arm and surrounding the greater portion of the periphery of the sheave. The

housing supports by a universal joint a dc pending elongated tube-like guard movable laterally with the traveling wire during the distribution thereof upon the take-up spool and extending to a point substantially equi-' distant the sheave and the takeup spool, the housing and guard being designed to permit the wire to be readily associated'therewith when threading the apparatus. The housing is provided with a conduit'jfor deflect and thrown bycentrifugal force from'the sheave from the take-up spool. 7 I 7 H g Other objects and advantages of this-1nlowing detailed description taken in connec tion with the accompanying drawings illustrating one embodiment thereof, in which 4055 Fig. 1 is'a fragmentary front elevation of a wire drawing apparatus embodying the- "vention will more fully appear from the fol the excess lubricant which passes into the conduit. 2

Referring now to the drawings in detail and particularly to Fig. 1 thereof, a framework 1 1 for supporting the Various elements of a wire drawing apparatus embodying the features of this invention is shown fragmentarily. A compartment 12 supported by the framework 11 is provided with an opening 13 1n its front wall which is adapted to be closed by doors 14 shown fragmentarily in Fig. 1. Rotatably mounted in the compartment 12 are a plurality of integral capstans 17 of gradually increasing diameters. The capstans 17 are fixed to a horizontal shaft 15' journaled in bearings (not shown) carried in the compartment 12 and driven by an electri- -cal motor or other suitable source of power illustration anddescription of the rolls 19, capstans l7 and driving mechanism for the latter, reference may be had to Patent No. 1,598,937 to John N. Selvig, dated September'7, 1926. The details of these elements have been omitted from the present application for the sake of simplicity, since a full ing the excesslubricant carried by the' wi're' mediate the capstans 17 and the rolls 19 is a die holder'23 which carries a plurality of wire drawing dies (not shown) of gradually decreasing diameters. A supply of wire 24 to be reduced in diameter is carried by a supply spool 25 mounted near the bottom of the framework 11, the wire being guided from the supply spool over and under guide pulleys 26 and 27, respectively, and thence over the rear guide roll 19 and through the first re ducing 'die carried by the holder 23. The

' Wire is then wound once around the capstan 17 of smallest diameter, after which it is passed upwardly and over the next roll 19, through the next reducing die and around the next capstan, etc., etc., until it is finally reduced to the correct diameter by the last die. From the latter die the drawn wire is passed around the capstan 17 of largest diameter, after which it is guided by sheaves 30 and 32 to a take-up spool 34 driven by suitable meche anism mounted in a housing 35. The guide sheave 32 is mounted upon the free end of a pivotal tension arm 36 which forms part of an elastic leverage mechanism 37 provided to control the speed of the take-up spool 34 responsive to the tension on the drawn wire between the take-up spool and last reducing die. Fora detailed illustration and description of the mode of operation of the leverage mechanism 37, reference is made to the hereinbefore referred to patent, since this mechanism is identical with that disclosed in this patent.

Referring particularly to Figs. 2 and 3 a housing 38 substantially surrounding the peripheral surface of the sheave 32 is fixed to. the tension arm36 as indicated by screws 41. The front of the housing 38, as viewed in Figs. 1 and 2,-is open except for a portion 42 upon which the sheave 32 is journaled, the rear inner face of the housing being formed to providean opposite journal, as shown in Fig. 3.. The purpose of the opening in the front of the housing 38 is for the purpose of; threading the wire 24 around the sheave 32, which will be referred to hereinafter. Depending from the housing 38 is an elongated tapered tube-like member orwire guard 43 which is flexibly connected thereto by a universal ball and socket joint 44 formed, respectively, upon the guard 43 and housing 38. A retaining ringg45 secured to the socket portion by screws 48 holds the guard 43 to the housing 38. The clearances between the ball and socket portions. of the ring 45 are such that the guard is free to swing upon the oint 44 formed thereby during the distribution of the wire 24 longitudinally of the spool, as

well as transversely thereof as the diameter of the take-up spool 34 increases with each additional layer of wire wound thereon. The

lower end of theguard 43. is provided with an apertured lug 49 positioned at one side of the axis thereof for the reception of the shank of a bolt 50 which, as clearly shown in-Fig. 3, serves to retain a guide 51 of an open spiral formation in alignment with the axis of the guard 43. The guide 51, in a well known manner, in combination with contiguous slots 52 formed down one side of the guard 43, ring 45, ball and socket portions of the joint 44 and the opening in the front of the housing 38 hereinbefore referred to, provide means for readily threading the wire 24 onto the upper peripheral guiding surface of the sheave 32 and through the elongated guard 43.

Formed in the right inner surface of the housing 38 above the universal joint 44 is a conduit 55 (Figs. 2 and 3) for directing the excess lubricant carried by the wire 24 from the die holder 23 and thrown by centrifugal force from the wire or sheave 32 against the right inner surface of the housing 38 from passing into the guard 43 and dropping onto the take-up spool 34. The conduit 55 extends rearward with respect to Figs. 1 and 2v and terminates in a, circular pipe portion 56, clearly shown in Fig. 3. Secured to the portion 56 by a fitting 57 is a tube 58 extending downwardly a suitable distance and arranged to direct any lubricant passing therefrom into. the compartment 12 at a point intermediatethe inner surface of the front wall thereof and the outer surface of the door 14 as clearly shown in Fig. 1. It will be apparent tnatan lubricant thrown on t irea sheave, during the wire drawing operation will drain into the conduit 55, and therefrom into the tube, 5.8, and therethrough into the bottom of the compartment 12, thus preventing it from dropping onto the take-up spool mechanism or being thrown away from the sheave into the space around the wire draw ing apparatus.

The guarding scribed comprising the housing .8 wi h ts depending flexibly connected tube-like member 43 functionsaS a traveling material or wire guard in the following manner. In the operation of drawing wire and simultaneously winding it upon a take-up spool, which is usually done-at a high speed, the wire may sometimes break, due to. various causes, which breakage, results in accelerating the rotation of the takeeup spool. The wire which is thus e of tensi n the tr s at a h ghra e f. speed and is whipped with great force around the sheave 32 a d ga ns any arp edges presented by adjacent members of the apparatus, ich ay in some instan es e. t wi to be. severed into small sections which are scattered and which might cause injury to the attendant. If the wire upon breaking does not contact with adjacent members of the apparatus and is not severed in small sections as just described, its abrupt change in direction of travel upon being drawn from the sheave 32 is likely to set up a whipping action and throw the wire outward and thereby strike the attendant with possible injury. Also upon the supply of wire from the spool 25 becoming exhaustedit will be apparent that the trailing or free end of the wire might become a source of danger to the attendant in a manner similar to that just described. All such danger is eliminated by a guarding device embodying the features of this invention, since upon breakage of the wire as just described, the free end thereof will be drawn into the housing 38 and through the elongated tube-like member 43, the wire leaving the member at a point where any whipping action occurring as hereinbefore described has ceased and a comparatively short distance from the take-up spool. It will be apparent device as hereinbefore dethat the path of the wire upon breakage is controlled, thus eliminating the possibility of the wire being severed into small sections and scattered.

What is claimed is:

1. A device for guarding traveling material upon a material Working apparatus having a material guiding element, comprising means adjacent the element for guarding the material for a predetermined distance therefrom, said means mounted to freely move with the moving material in a plurality of planes.

2. A device for guarding traveling material upon a material working apparatus having a material guiding element, comprising a support adjacent the element, and means flexibly connected thereto for guarding and freely responding to movements of the material during its travel from the element.

3. A device for guarding traveling material upon leaving a guiding element of a material working apparatus and traveling to a take-up mechanism, comprising a support adjacent the leaving side of the element, and

a tube-like member connected thereto by a ball and socket joint and extending toward the take-up mechanism for guarding the material for a predetermined distance after its 1 departure from the element, said means movable upon the ball and socket joint by the moving material during the take-up thereof.

4. A device for guarding traveling material upon a material working apparatus having a material guiding element, comprising means for surrounding a portion of the peripheral surface of the element, and means flexibly connected thereto for guarding and freely responding to movements of the material during its travel from the element.

5. A device for guarding traveling material during its association with and'upon leaving a guiding element of a material working apparatus, comprising means for surrounding the greater portion of the peripheral surface of the element, and means flexibly connected thereto for guarding and responsive to the lateral movements of the moving material after its departure from the guiding element.

6. A device for guarding traveling material during its association with and upon leaving a guide sheave of a material working apparatus and traveling to a take-up mechanism, comprising a housing for surrounding the greater portion of the peripheral surface of the sheave and provided with apertures for the entrance and exit of the moving material, and a tubelike member connected thereto by ball and socket joint adjacent the exit aperture of the housing and extending toward the take-up mechanism for guarding and responsive to the movements of the material after its departure from the sheave.

7. A device for guarding traveling material during its association with a guide sheave of a material working apparatus employing a liquid in the worln'ng of the material, comprising a housing for surrounding the greater portion of the peripheral surface of the sheave, the housing formed with a conduit for deflecting any liquid thrown off by the sheave or the material against the inner surface of the housing, by centrifugal force, to a predetermined point of the apparatus.

8. A device for guarding traveling material upon a material working apparatus having a material guiding element, comprising means for surrounding the greater portion of the peripheral surface of the element, and an elongated tube-like member flexibly connected thereto for guarding the moving material for a predetermined distance from the element, the means and tube-like member provided with contiguous apertures for readily threading the material onto the element and throu h the tube-like member.

9. A device for guarding traveiing material upon a material working apparatus having a material guiding element, comprising means surrounding the greater portion of the pcripheral surface of the element and substa tially open on one side for readily threading the material onto the element and a spiral means for guiding and retaining the traveling material within the first mentioned means.

10. A device for guarding traveling wire, a wire Working apparatus having a wire guiding element, comprising means for deflecting any wire working lubricant discharged from the wire, and guarding means flexibly mounted upon the element to permit said means to freely follow the movement of the traveling wire.

11. A device for guarding a traveling strand to a take-up element in a strand working apparatus, a guide, and means pivoted to the guide for guarding and following the strand as it is distributed on the take-up element and as the diameter thereof increases with each additional layer of strand wound thereon.

12. In combination with a wire drawing machine having a take-up mechanism, a device for protecting the operator comprising means for guiding the wire, and means associated with said means for substantially enclosing the wire as it travels to the take-up mechanism.

13. In combination with a wire drawing machine having a wire guiding element, a device connected to the element for protecting the operator comprising a tube-like member for guiding the wire for a predetermined distance from the guiding element.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this th day of November, A. D.

HARRY BLOUNT. 

